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| William W. Oliver |
| Date Of Birth: | October 6, 1921 |
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| Date Of Death: | March 13, 2011 |
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William (Bill) W. Oliver died Sunday, March 13 at Bell Trace in Bloomington, Indiana. Born in the coal mining town of Hazard, Kentucky, Bill Oliver was the youngest of five children.
As a child, he was active in Boy Scouts and loved hiking and camping in the eastern Kentucky mountains. During World War II, Oliver served in the Army Air Corps. Bill graduated from University of Kentucky in 1946 and earned his JD cum laude from Northwestern University where he was elected to the Order of the Coif.
After graduation, Bill worked as a trial lawyer for the Bureau of Internal Revenue before becoming a law clerk for Supreme Court Chief Justice Fred Vinson and subsequently for Chief Justice Earl Warren. Under Warren, Oliver was instrumental in the writing of the Brown vs. Board of Education decision. In 1954 he joined the law faculty of the Indiana University School of Law. Bill taught for 41 years, earning the school’s gavel award as well as the Herman F Lieber award for distinguished teaching. In 2003 he was honored with an endowed chair, the William W. Oliver Chair in Taxation.
In 1972, he and his wife Mary founded Oliver Winery. This was a natural extension of his hobbies of winemaking and grape growing and sparked a revival of winemaking in Indiana. Bill also had a passion for travel. He and Mary traveled around the world, including the Arctic Circle and Antarctica. He loved playing bridge, gardening, and participating in hot air balloon races with his son, Bill
Bill Oliver was named Sagamore of the Wabash by Governor Robert Orr and twice named a Kentucky Colonel. He had participated in many civic organizations including the Kiwanis Club and the Chamber of Commerce.
He was preceded in death by his wife Mary in 2007. He is survived by his son Bill M. Oliver (Kathleen) of Bloomington, daughter Barbara Oliver (Eric) of Clearwater, Florida, and four grandchildren.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Mary and William Oliver Dementia Care Education Award Fund c/o Bloomington Hospital Foundation, P.O. Box 1149, Bloomington, IN 47402.
A private service will be held this summer.
Allen Funeral Home 4155 South Old Highway 37 is handling the arrangements and online condolences may be sent to the family at www.allenfuneralhome.org
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